Botshabelo, Free State
Encyclopedia
There is another Botshabelo, Mpumalanga
Botshabelo, meaning "a place of refuge", is a large black settlement set up by the then apartheid government 45 km east of Bloemfontein
, Free State
province, South Africa
. As many people moved away from the farms in the Free State, they looked for places to stay in the region of Thaba Nchu
, another homeland under the old Bophutatswana government. The policy governing Bophutatswana at the time clearly stated that Bophutatswana belongs to those who are of Tswana tribe. As a result, all other tribes, mainly Southern Sotho and Xhosa, were put at a skwatta camp named “Kromdraai”. Kromdraai was initiated by a man who was only referred to as "Khoza". He was selling a stand for only 50 cents around the year of 1976. Later on the government of Bophutatswana started to strongly condemn the development of that area and worked hard through their police force during the day and night, striving to dispatch everybody living in the region and who is not a Tswana. As the pressure mounted for the people of Kromdraai, Khoza fled and he was no longer to be seen anywhere. In 1979, the then Prime Minister of Qwa-Qwa, Kenneth Mopeli
together with the apartheid government found a place for all the people of Kromdraai at a farm called Onverwacht. All the people who were not Tswana started to move to Onverwacht for free, and later on when they started to settle in the area paid ZAR80 for a stand. Late in 1980 to early 1981 the name Onverwacht started to disappear and people started to call their place by the name of Botshabelo, this name given by Julius Nkoko.
Botshabelo is one of the towns that have produced soccer players for the Premier Soccer League
(PSL) especially for Celtics
such as Madidilane, Ditheko Mototo, the late Abram Raselemane, Ntho Moshe, Motseothata November, Ace Gulwa,Lefu Nyapuli,Teboho Salemane and others. Population is mainly composed of people speaking S. Sotho and Xhosa.
Botshabelo, Mpumalanga
Botshabelo in the district of Middelburg, in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, originated as a mission station established by Alexander Merensky of the Berlin Missionary Society , in February 1865 in what was then the Transvaal Republic...
Botshabelo, meaning "a place of refuge", is a large black settlement set up by the then apartheid government 45 km east of Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
, Free State
Free State
The Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
province, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. As many people moved away from the farms in the Free State, they looked for places to stay in the region of Thaba Nchu
Thaba Nchu
Thaba Nchu is a town in Free State, South Africa, located 60 km east of Bloemfontein. Its population is largely made up of Tswana and Sotho people. The town was settled in the 1830s and officially established in 1873...
, another homeland under the old Bophutatswana government. The policy governing Bophutatswana at the time clearly stated that Bophutatswana belongs to those who are of Tswana tribe. As a result, all other tribes, mainly Southern Sotho and Xhosa, were put at a skwatta camp named “Kromdraai”. Kromdraai was initiated by a man who was only referred to as "Khoza". He was selling a stand for only 50 cents around the year of 1976. Later on the government of Bophutatswana started to strongly condemn the development of that area and worked hard through their police force during the day and night, striving to dispatch everybody living in the region and who is not a Tswana. As the pressure mounted for the people of Kromdraai, Khoza fled and he was no longer to be seen anywhere. In 1979, the then Prime Minister of Qwa-Qwa, Kenneth Mopeli
Kenneth Mopeli
Tsiame Kenneth Mopeli was the former Chief Minister of the South African bantustan of QwaQwa.Born in Namahadi, Mopeli gained a Bachelor of Arts at the University of South Africa in 1954 and worked as a teacher and radio announcer for the South African Broadcasting Corporation before being...
together with the apartheid government found a place for all the people of Kromdraai at a farm called Onverwacht. All the people who were not Tswana started to move to Onverwacht for free, and later on when they started to settle in the area paid ZAR80 for a stand. Late in 1980 to early 1981 the name Onverwacht started to disappear and people started to call their place by the name of Botshabelo, this name given by Julius Nkoko.
Botshabelo is one of the towns that have produced soccer players for the Premier Soccer League
Premier Soccer League
Premier Soccer League is the trading name of the National Soccer League of South Africa. The top league is the ABSA Premiership, sponsored by ABSA...
(PSL) especially for Celtics
Bloemfontein Celtic
Bloemfontein Celtic is a South African football club based in Bloemfontein, founded in 1969 as Mangaung United, and renamed in 1984 to its current name. The club currently compete in Premier Soccer League, and selected Seisa Ramabodu Stadium as their home venue...
such as Madidilane, Ditheko Mototo, the late Abram Raselemane, Ntho Moshe, Motseothata November, Ace Gulwa,Lefu Nyapuli,Teboho Salemane and others. Population is mainly composed of people speaking S. Sotho and Xhosa.